Improvement in cigar-machines



JAMES L. WEATHERHEAD.

Improvement in Cigar Machines.

No. 125,709. Patented April 16,1872.

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JAMES L. IVEATHERHEAD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CIGAR-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. WEATHER- HEAD, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Outtin g and Shaping the Heads of Cigars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine; Fig. 2 a view of the knife and socket detached.

My invention consists of a machine for cutting and shaping the heads of cigars, and is composed of a detachable knife or cutter, which passes into a similarly-shaped socket below, also detachable, the edges of the knife passing into the socket as one cutting-edge of a pair of shears passes the other edge. The knife'edge and socket are-shaped like the longitudinal section of the head of a cigar, and the knife is pressed down into the socket below by a common hand-stamp mechanism.

In the drawing, A is the knife; B, the socket; 0, the screw for securing the knife A in place; D, the guides; E, the spring; F, the check; G I, the upper arm; H, the pivotstandard; K, the base; L, a projection from the knife A, against which the screw 0 impinges and holds the knife in place; M, two shoulders or arms of the knife, with lower cutting-edges; O is the head; I, the cushion.

To enable others skilled in the art to use my improved machine, I will describe its mode of operation.

The head of the cigar in course of construction, after the binder is applied, is placed in the groove or socket B; the knife A is then forced down by a blow on the head 0, or by a treadle; the edges of the knife, passing into the socket B, cut the head of the cigar in said socket into the proper shape, at the same time shaping it by pressure; the edges M, cutting at right angles to the cigar, cut off .any parts of the binder which are outside, and entirely detaches that part of the binder out 01? from the body of the cigar; the spring E, be-

ing compressed, throws the arm I up into its original position as soon as the pressure on the head 0 is relieved; the knife A is thus elevated, the cigar isremoved from the socket B, and another cigar-head inserted, to be out and shaped in its turn. The guides D serve to direct the knife A in its descent and to make a true c'ut. When the spring E forces the arm I up again, the projection G on the back of the arm I strikes the check F and prevents the arm I from being thrown up too high. The arm I is pivoted at H. The knife A is removable, having a projection, L, which fits into the lower end of the head 0 and is socured in place by a screw, 0. The socket B is removable in like manner, being secured in its place by screws from beneath, so that knives and sockets of sizes to suit any cigar can be substituted, one for another, on one machine. The cushion P is part of the socket B, and is made of any soft metal, receiving the edge of the knife A when it descends. The upper surface of the socket B is of hard metal and is secured in any convenient manner to the cushion P; or the whole socket B may be of one metal, a hard metal being preferable; and the knife A may be checked in its descent from going too far by a check on the surface of the socket B or on the guides, or by any other convenient arrangement.

I am well aware that knives have been heretofore used for cutting the binder the whole length of the cigar on both sides, butthis method has been found to be impracticable; for as the cigar came from the knives the binder would slip when the wrapper was to be applied, and when the wrapper was on, made a rough and poor appearance, and the cigar did not draw well. The knife manufactured by me overcomes this difiiculty, at the same time shaping the head. It leaves the binder perfectly secure and ready for the wrapper, and the cigar draws perfectly free.

Having thus described my improvement, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The knife A, in combination with the edges M M, substantiallyas described, detachable or fixed.

2. A knifewhich partially cuts the binder at the cigar-head, but does not out the binder the whole length, so that the binder is not detached from the cigar, substantially as described.

JAMES L. WEATHERHEAD. Witnesses: 7

JOHN C. LEVICK, NATHANIEL DEETZ. 

